“The Son of Man is glorified by being lifted up from the earth. If you would see Him, if you would behold Jesus, behold Him there. There, and there alone, you might gaze upon God’s glory and not be destroyed, for you gaze upon where and how He was destroyed for you. There you might look into the things that the prophets longed to see and kings desired. There you will know the love God holds for you and the cost He has gladly paid to make you His.”
-David H. Petersen, author of Thy Kingdom Come
Audio: Listen to Hymn for Judica chanted.
Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle,
Sing the last, the dread affray;
O’er the cross, the victor’s trophy,
Sound the high triumphal lay,
How, the pains of death enduring,
Earth’s Redeemer won the day.
When at length the appointed fullness
Of the sacred time was come,
He was sent, the world’s Creator,
From the Father’s heavenly home,
And was found in human fashion,
Offspring of the virgin’s womb.
Now the thirty years are ended
Which on earth He willed to see,
Willingly He meets His passion,
Born to set His people free;
On the cross the Lamb is lifted,
There the sacrifice to be.
There the nails and spear He suffers,
Vinegar and gall and reed;
From His sacred body pierced
Blood and water both proceed:
Precious flood, which all creation
From the stain of sin hath freed.
Faithful Cross, above all other,
One and only noble Tree,
None in foliage, none in blossom,
None in fruit thy peer may be;
Sweet the wood, and sweet the iron,
And thy load, most sweet is He.
Bend, O lofty Tree, thy branches,
Thy too rigid sinews bend;
And awhile the stubborn hardness,
Which thy birth bestowed, suspend;
And the limbs of heaven’s high Monarch
Gently on thine arms extend.
Thou alone wast counted worthy
This world’s Ransom to sustain,
That a shipwrecked race for ever
Might a port of refuge gain,
With the sacred Blood annointed
Of the Lamb for sinners slain.
Praise and honor to the Father,
Praise and honor to the Son,
Praise and honor to the Spirit,
Ever Three and ever One:
One in might, and One in glory,
While eternal ages run. Amen.
__________
Pange lingua gloriosi praelium, V. Fortunatus, 6th century, trans. by J.M. Neale
Found in The Brotherhood Prayer Book and its accompanying CD.
By the generous permission and encouragement of Pastor Lang’s family, Emmanuel Press has brought Paul H. D. Lang’s Ceremony and Celebration back into print. It was reprinted by Redeemer Press in 2004 but was quickly snatched up and has been sold out for several years.
Several months ago, we also added Piepkorn and McClean’s The Conduct of the Service (published by Redeemer Press) to our collection. Both of these books instruct on the actions and words in the liturgy, yet each has a specific focus. The Conduct of the Service focuses on the role of the pastor (and others who assist in leading worship) in the Divine Service according to the General Rubrics that govern all of the hymnals of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod since TLH. The broader scope of Ceremony and Celebration includes liturgical definitions, the role of the clergy, the role of the laity, liturgical music, church architecture, sacred vessels, furniture in the chancel, the liturgical year, and the liturgical ceremony within our Lutheran heritage from the time of the Reformation.
As noted in the Preface to Ceremony and Celebration, there is “a pious desire of both pastors and parishioners to be reverent in worship. That is the genius of this little book: It speaks to all participants in the Divine Service, not just pastors and theologians.” The Divine Service is where Christians gather around Word and Sacrament. Its liturgy provides the structure for keeping Christ as the central focus. The words, music, actions, and physical elements of the Divine Service all play a role in the liturgy. Pastors and parishioners join together to receive God’s gifts, each playing a distinct yet integral part as defined by the liturgy, in accordance with God’s will (Heb. 10:25; 1 Cor. 14:40).
Ceremony and Celebration is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to better understand why we do what we do in the Divine Service. Understanding what is going on around us increases our appreciation for and insight into the details of the liturgy.
After numerous requests for a smaller text edition of The Brotherhood Prayer Book, we are pleased to debut a pocket-sized, 6″ x 4″ x 5/8″ version. At a mere 7 ounces, this book contains the same liturgies, canticles, Psalms, and propers as the previous text edition, but in a more convenient size, allowing you to carry it wherever you go. For only $15.00, the new Brotherhood Prayer Book: Text Edition offers 370 pages of prayer offices centered around the Gregorian Psalter.
On the heels of our special promotion of free shipping for select greeting cards (which goes through the end of today!), we are now offering a week of free shipping for our latest book, Thy Kingdom Come by David H. Petersen. This offer is valid from now through Saturday, March 2.
Read a description of the book here, and also take a look at the Table of Contents, Scripture index, and an excerpt from the Forward by Pr. Todd Wilken. There are also many excerpts available on this website in previous posts. Use the search tool at the top right-hand side, or click on the Thy Kingdom Come tag at the bottom of this post to find all related posts. Also be sure to check out what others are saying about this book in the Reviews tab.
To place an order, please email it and your address to emmanuelpress@gmail.com since we don’t have a spot to enter promotional codes in our Paypal checkout. Once you email us your order, we’ll email you a Paypal invoice for online payment. This free shipping promotion cannot be combined with an order of other books or greeting cards. It is only available to customers in the continental U.S.
Almost two years ago, we created our first greeting cards using beautiful frescos and stained glass pictures from Germany. Since then, we have expanded our offerings to include original artwork from artist Edward Riojas. We have received a lot of wonderful feedback from customers, such as those who appreciate using the Vocation notecard as a unique confirmation card since the inside verse refers to fulfilling one’s calling and depicts Christ as a young man, serving his parents. Then there are others who are glad to have a baptism/baptism birthday card with a clear confession of rebirth by water and the Spirit: “Buried with Christ and dead to sin, Your Spirit now shall live within.”
From now through Saturday, February 23, we are offering free shipping with the purchase of any 10 of the following greeting cards: Crucifixion, Benediction, Vocation, A Mighty Fortress, The Four Evangelists, Eastertide, Holy Baptism, and Heilige Taufe. 
The cards can be ordered in any combination as long as they add up to 10 total (or a multiple of 10). Click on the link for each card to view a larger picture of the artwork as well as the inside text.
To place an order, however, you must email it to us at emmanuelpress@gmail.com since we don’t have a spot to enter promotional codes in our Paypal checkout. Once you email us your order, we’ll email you a Paypal invoice which you can pay with a credit card or bank transfer (a normal kind of transaction). We typically ship orders within 2-3 business days. Also, this free shipping promotion cannot be combined with a book or Christmas card order.
*free shipping offer only available to customers in the continental U.S.
Audio sample: Listen to Hymn for Invocavit chanted.
O kind Creator, bow Thine ear
To mark the cry, to know the tear
Before Thy throne of mercy spent
In this Thy holy feast of Lent.
Our hearts are open, Lord, to Thee:
Thou knowest our infirmity;
Pour out on all who seek Thy face
Abundance of Thy pardoning grace.
Our sins are many, this we know;
Spare us, good Lord, Thy mercy show;
And for the honor of Thy name
Our fainting souls to life reclaim.
Give us the self-control that springs
From discipline of outward things,
That fasting inward secretly
The soul may purely dwell with Thee.
We pray Thee, Holy Trinity,
One God, unchanging Unity,
That we from this our abstinence
May reap the fruits of penitence.
Amen.
________________
Audi benigne Conditor, Gregory the Great, 6th century, trans. by T.A. Lacey
Found in The Brotherhood Prayer Book and its accompanying CD.
“Your ashes are smeared today. There is no beauty in them. The world cannot see anything in them but an ugly smudge of dirt and death. But for those with the eyes of faith, they are in the form of a cross, that most lovely and dear of all symbols, that emblem of our hope.
“We set our faces toward Jerusalem today. We turn our backs on sin. We look through the gallows on Golgotha and see the glory of the cross enlightening the empty tomb. He has been lifted up from the earth to draw us to Him, to drain the Law’s accusing power, to empty hell’s claim, to crush the devil’s head, to bestow peace upon the meek.”
-David H. Petersen, author of Thy Kingdom Come
Listen to Pr. David Petersen talk about Lenten preaching on Issues, Etc.
Audio: Listen to Hymn for Ash Wednesday chanted.
The fast, as taught by holy lore,
We keep in solemn course once more;
The fast to all men known, and bound
In forty days of yearly round.
The law and seers that were of old
In diverse ways this Lent foretold,
Which Christ, all seasons’ King and Guide,
In after ages sanctified.
More sparing therefore let us make
The words we speak, the food we take,
Our sleep and mirth, and closer barred
Be every sense in holy guard.
In prayer together let us fall,
And cry for mercy, one and all,
And weep before the Judge’s feet,
And his avenging wrath entreat.
Thy grace have we offended sore,
By sins, O God, which we deplore;
But pour upon us from on high,
O pardoning One, Thy clemency.
Remember Thou, though frail we be,
That yet Thine handiwork are we;
Nor let the honor of Thy name
Be by another put to shame.
Forgive the sin that we have wrought;
Increase the good that we have sought;
That we at length, our wanderings o’er,
May please Thee here and evermore.
We pray Thee, Holy Trinity,
One God, unchanging Unity,
That we from this our abstinence
May reap the fruits of penitence.
Amen.
_________
Ex more docti mystico, 6th century, trans. by J.M. Neale.
Found in The Brotherhood Prayer Book and its accompanying CD.
